Elrios High School
by dawicf
Summary: When Elsword is forced to go to high school, he wonders if he'll ever have an easy day. Look who we're talking about.
1. 1st Day

Elrios High School

After being accepted into Elrios High School, Elsword wonders if school is really a good idea. Well, there's only one way to find out, right?

 **Characters:**

Elsword (13) Chung (13)

Aisha (13) Ara (14)

Rena (14) Elesis (16)

Raven (16) Add (14)

Eve (13) Lu/Ciel (?/15)

 **NPC's:**

Glave

Ariel

Vanessa

Stella

Camilla

Aren

Luriel

Well, here we go! This is what would happen if the Elgang went to school. At least, it's one interpretation. And I'm in this for the long haul. 4 straight years, plus however many specials I decide to make. I'll include some references to anime, manga, and music. This is an AU, so I can pretty much do what I want.

For the characters, I'll be using their base classes for the first 2 years, keeping with the time in the actual game. I'll bring Ara in later. Now as to what classes I use for the gang, that's _your_ call. I'll mainly use the characters' point-of-view, but sometimes I'll need to explain. If a specific character is not named, then it'll be me.

Before I go, a _massive_ disclaimer. I OWN ABOSLUTELY NOTHING! Nothing that I may reference belongs to me.

* * *

 _Chapter 1: 1st Day_

He was not happy about this. Why was he going to school? What had he done to receive this punishment?

" _Please_ tell me why I should go," a young redhead says moodily. "Are you trying to torture me?"

"Geez, Elsword, shut up and quit your whining already!" the girl in the driver's seat shoots back. "This rate, you'll be sick of school before you get there."

"Sis, I was sick of it before we left the house. And what's the point of starting so late? It's September 1st. Little late to be starting school, don't you think?"

"How the hell should I know? I'm not the chairman."

"Yeah, that's too bad. Being the younger brother of the chairman of the school sounds nice."

"There. At least try to make it look as if the glass is half-full. And besides, it won't be all bad. Chung and Eve are there, too. So at least you're not alone."

"Yeah, and I already know what they'll say. Chung's gonna flip like a 6-year-old 'cuz I haven't talked to him in 2 days. And Eve's gonna be a statue like always."

"Well, that can't be helped."

Eve was never the social type. But it doesn't help when you're not even human. Eve was one of the last remaining Nasods, a race of sentient machines from centuries ago. When Elsword first met her when he was 6, she hardly reacted to anything. Nobody did. Nobody knew what to say to a being who was as unheard of as she. But the little redhead seemed hell-bent on getting to know her. He talked to her, asked her questions about herself. And she bothered to answer him. Unfortunately, her list of social contacts didn't expand much. But neither did Elsword's. And neither did Chung's, when he came.

Chung Seiker came to Elsword's school not long after Eve. Apparently, his parents thought that life away from his home would do him some good. And his home happened to be the overseas capital, Hamel. And of all people, Chung was its prince. But he sure didn't look like one. Yeah sure, he was young, but that didn't help when it came to his appearance. After his introduction on his first day, one of the kids in class asked straight out if Chung really _was_ a boy. The teacher said yes, but the kid just wasn't satisfied. But the teacher forced him to drop the subject. Just as with Eve, Elsword wanted to get to know the new kid. And, just like Eve, they hit it off well enough.

"I know it can't be helped, but Eve needs more friends, _better_ friends, then just me and Chung."

"Have you ever thought that maybe she likes you two just fine?"

"Stop! This is making me depressed. Great, now I hate school again. Why'd you have to do this to me? Look, just tell me what this place is like."

"Well, it's pretty ordinary. In their first week, all new students report to the auditorium for their opening ceremony. It's a _barrel of fun_ , trust me. After that, they report to the gym for physical checks and are assigned a class, room, and weapon. That's the fun part."

"Whoa, back up. _Weapons!?_ What do they teach here?"

"This began as a military academy. But after some thought, the board changed it to a public school. You don't even have to be of high school age to come here. But you do have to be at least 10. And the weapons are more for recreation than anything, really."

Knowing that still didn't comfort Elsword much. He wasn't sure if school was a good idea anymore. Well, not that he thought it was a good idea in the first place, but he was just starting to warm up to the idea.

"Don't a lot of people get in fights?"

"Well, yes and no. Students get in fights all the time, but a few rules are observed. 1: All fights, or duels, shall be and must be observed by at least one teacher or staff member. 2: Fighting without a teacher or staff member on-hand is strictly forbidden, and will result in immediate dismissal of both parties. 3: Any weapon besides a student's designated weapon is absolutely prohibited on campus. And 'dismissal' means expulsion."

"Hold on. Rule 2 had a punishment. Why doesn't rule 3?"

"That's just it. Everybody's so afraid of rule 2, they've never needed anything for 3."

"This is a pretty hardcore school, isn't it?"

"You don't know the half of it, little brother. But the rules aren't your problem. It's the other students. Just so you know, in a duel, as they're called, you put your life on the line, depending on who you fight."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"What I mean is that there are some real bastards here who won't think twice about gutting you. They've got the weapons for it, too. I know what you're thinking. No, it's not illegal."

"What the hell does the school guidebook say?"

"I just read you the school guidebook. As long as those three rules are followed, anything and everything goes here."

"Then doesn't that make me target practice 'cuz I don't have a weapon yet?"

"No. The teachers won't allow students to attack each other if both are not armed properly. Get it?"

"Yeah, I got it. Maybe there's not much to worry about."

"Just remember. Once you have a weapon, you're fair game."

And just like that, his confidence took another drop. He wished Elesis would just shut up before he completely lost his nerve.

"Oh, calm down. I've actually built a reputation here, and they know better than to attack me. And I'll tell them to keep off you. Your friends, too."

"Great. My sister's a gang leader. By the way, something's been bugging me. What are you wearing? Doesn't this school have uniforms?"

He had the right to react the way he did. His sister was wearing something you'd find punks on the streets wearing. She was wearing jean shorts that hung low enough to reveal the rimline of her apnties, and her see-through crop top left _absolutely_ _nothing_ to the imagination.

"No real reason. I just felt like something a tad risqué. It's the first day of school, after all. And maybe I wanted to excite you. You never know."

"Don't worry. I quit trying to figure you out ages ago. Besides, who're you planning on impressing? I'm sorry to say this, but you don't really have enough to work with."

"You can shut up. What little brother checks out his sister? Oh, I get it. You're into _that_? Wow. Consider me shocked."

" _You_ shut up. Who said I was into that? You're putting it there."

"Guess you're right. Want a taste?"

"HELL NO!"

"Now _that_ was funny. You're a riot, little brother, you know that?"

"You're cruel, you know. Evil, twisted, and cruel."

"Why, thank you. I try my best. But seriously, if you ever want to know what it's like. . ."

"What is it with you?"

"Nothing. I just enjoy doing this to you. Oh, finally. We're here."

From how Elesis described it, Elsword was expecting a lone building with barb-wire fencing all around. But it looked enough like a school.

"Quit staring into space. You were expecting something a little more drill-based, weren't you? Well, it used to be like that. There are pictures in the school's hall detailing what it was. And in case you were wondering, all the barb-wire was used to create the boundaries for the baseball field."

"H-H-How'd you. . ."

"Please. I'm your sister. You think I don't know the things that go in your head?"

"Well, I can always hope, right?"

"Whatever. You need to register. Just to the building over there," she explains, pointing to her right. "The registrar'll get you set up. Good luck, little bro."

"Thanks, sis. Wait, you're leaving?"

"Why should I stay? Only new students have to show up early. Actually, I don't even have any classes today. Besides, my favorite song's coming on the radio. That stupid DJ finally bothered to play a request."

"Okay, you go have fun with that. So you're just gonna leave?"

"Kind of. I'll come back after I've gotten this one back home," she answers, referring to the car.

"Please tell me you're not gonna walk back here."

"It's not a long walk. Not as long as you'd think, anyway. You won't have to worry about that, though. Now get going."

Elsword was grateful she was specific about which building. After he was inside, he walked up to the nearest person. The nameplate in front of her said _Ariel_.

"Excuse me. Are you the registrar?"

"Yes, that's me. Are you a new student?"

"I was told to come here, as you help with new students."

"That's right. If you need any help at all, I'll be happy to assist. So let's get you registered. Your name is. . .?"

"Elsword."

"Elsword. Well, you're definitely new here, but I feel as though I should recognize you."

"My older sister, Elesis, has been here for 2 years. This is her 3rd."

""I knew I recognized you. You really do look like Elie, don't you? Well, here's your ID card."

As she handed him the card, he couldn't help but wonder how a picture of him appeared on their computer without a camera.

"With new students, we get their picture taken right here. There's a miniature camera on top of the monitor. Good picture. You look pretty handsome there."

"How is it that people can read my mind today!?"

"Oh, that's what all new students think about the camera. I'm used to it. Here's a map of the school. Good luck, and I hope you'll enjoy your time here, El-kun."

"Thank you, Ms. Ariel."

"And polite, too. You behave much better than your sister. Your class is already marked."

He was supposed to report to 1-4. He assumed that meant Floor 1, Class 4. But when he got there, he quickly found that that was _not_ his room. Thankfully, one of the students was willing to point him in the right direction. The 1 actually meant Year 1, which was on the next floor up.

"Then why can't somebody _say_ that," Elsword grumbles as he walked up the steps. "I'll bet I'm not the only one who didn't know."

He finally got to his class, but he wasn't sure if he'd get it wrong again. That is, until he looked through the window. He saw a kid with light-brown hair, and the ends were colored a little darker, so they looked like ears. Elsword didn't need to wave because the boy has already seen him. He may have been on the other end of the class, but you'd swear he was right next to the door with how long it took him to get there.

"Hey, Chung. How've you been?" Elsword asks after his friend opened the door.

"What happened? I didn't hear a thing from you," Chung answers.

"Dude, it's been 2 days. You will not die if I forget to text you."

"Tell that to Eve. She's the one who's been worried."

"She doesn't have a phone, remember? Believe me, I wish I could talk to her . Hey, no-one's found out about Eve, right?" Elsword asks, dropping to a whisper.

"Not yet. The last thing these people need to know is that Eve is the _queen_ of Nasods."

"Yeah. Good, that's still under wraps. Hey, Eve. How's it going?" Elsword asks, greeting her.

"I have no complaints to speak of," she answers. "However, I do wish you would notify me of anything that may come up."

"I keep telling you, I want to. But you don't have a phone, so I can't."

"Very well. May I see your phone for a moment?"

"Sure. Here you go."

He wasn't sure what she was doing, but a few seconds, she handed it back to him. It didn't feel or look any different.

"I modified it so you can contact me even without a cellular device. But the function will be inoperable until tomorrow."

"All right, everybody sit down!" the teacher yells, walking in.

Her hair had this kind of brown-black color, and even though she did wear a shirt, it only seemed to advertise her goods even more, constricting them from the side. Well, her jacket did. She wore a white shirt underneath. But the jacket was only zipped halfway.

"Ugh, why'd they have to stick me teaching the newbies," she complained to herself. "Not like I recognize any of them. Look like a bunch of troublemakers. Well, whatever. Nothing I can do. Alright, you brats. I'm your teacher. Ms. Stella. Believe me, I don't want to be here, either. I'd just as soon be in bed waking up with a hangover from the previous night."

"And what makes you say that?" Elsword asks.

"Because it's you punks who torture me. Well, the headmaster's worse, actually. Hold up. You look familiar. You're Elesis's brother, aren't you?"

"That's me."

"Why? Why, Lady El? What did I do to deserve this? Now I'm stuck teaching that hellion's brother."

Before Stella could continue, the PA system rang. A voice came from the speaker.

 _"All 1st year students are to report to the auditorium within 10 minutes."_

And with that, the call was over.

"Alright. Take all your things with you. You won't be back for a while."

The students walked out in one big bunch, not bothering to organize themselves. Elsword thought about what was going to happen. His sister hadn't said much about this. All she had said was that this was fun, sarcastically of course. It was probably just a intro to the school's program and rules.

"Hey, Els, you got any idea what we're doing?" Chung asks.

"Well, my sis didn't really tell me everything. She just said what we're doing. If she told me right, after this, we're going to the gym."

"Cool. Remind me to call you a psychic now."

"Oh, shut up, Pikachu."

"Do you happen to know what we'll be doing afterwards?" Eve inquires.

"Yeah, actually. Sis gave me the whole rundown of the first day. After the talk in the auditorium, we report to the gym. There, the students'll get physical check-ups. That takes care of the hard part. After we're exam-ed, apparently we'll receive. . .weapons."

". . .ARE YOU SERIOUS!?"

"Calm down. You want the whole world to hear you? Yes, I'm serious. From how she put it, this began as a military school. But the board changed it to a public academy. But the weapon system was kept as a form of recreation for the students."

"I see. Is there any method to determine which weapon we receive?"

"Not that she told me."

"Some recreation. They want to kill us."

"Actually, it's pretty simple. I remember there being 3 rules, but my memory bites at what they were."

"3 rules to the system?"

"3 rules to the school. The student handbook is comprised of 3 rules. That's it."

". . ."

"Not too far off from my reaction. Well, I'm guessing this is the auditorium."

As Elsword, Chung, and Eve took their seats, Elsword's eyes wandered off to glance at some of the other students. He noticed a older kid with an arm that looked like it came straight from a junkyard standing in the back. _At least Raven's still here._

Raven was a 3rd year student, same as Elesis. Coincidentally enough, the two were a couple. He'd come by their house a few times to be with Elesis. They were going to graduate in another year, and he wondered what they'd do. Would Elesis move out on her own with Raven, or would she stay, or would Raven move in?

Figuring he was asking too many questions, he turned his eyes back to the crowd. Nobody really caught his attention, except for a girl with the oddest hair color he'd ever seen. Well, red hair isn't _too_ weird, but purple? Definitely odd.

"If I could have your attention," a woman on stage said into the microphone. "Our headmaster is not able to attend, so I am here in his place. I'm Vanessa, and I'm your deputy principal here. To get this underway, I'd like to have our 1st year representative come up and say a few words."

When the representative walked on stage, Elsword wasn't surprised that it was a girl. What did surprise him was how beautiful she was. She was half covered by the pedestal on the stage, but he didn't really take notice. She looked like a model, and that was an understatement. Even though she was dressed simply, it was obvious she could look great in anything. Her hair, which had this unique green-yellow color, was tied back in a ponytail. She was all he could stare at.

"Hey, man, you okay?" Chung asks.

Chung had asked because Elsword's face was about as red as his hair. He hardly realized what he was doing, but Chung snapped him out of it.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I was just..."

"Distracted? Quit looking with your eyes. Maybe you'll get to hear her, if you don't space out again."

"Will you both be silent?" Eve asks, irritated.

"Sorry," they both whisper.

"As grateful as I am for the opportunity to represent this class, I'm really not sure what to say. So let me just say that I'm excited to be here, and I look forward to spending time with all of you. I wish I could say more, but I'm nervous enough. Thank you."

With those words, she stepped down.

"That was unusually quick," Vanessa says, coming back on. "The representative usually goes on a lot longer. It's nice to have a shorter ceremony for once. Well, that will do. Now I'd like to have you all report to the gymnasium across from here. Each of you will receive a physical exam and health check. Obviously, boys on one side, girls on the other. Now get moving. I'd like to finish this before the day is done."

Outside, Elsword noticed the purple-haired girl standing anxiously by the door. _Is she waiting for someone?_ he wondered. Then he saw the girl had just stole all of his attention stop right next to her. _Are they friends? Well, duh, of course they are. Wouldn't be talking otherwise._ Then he overheard them talking.

"I don't know how you handled being up there," the purplette says to her friend. "I'd have fainted from stage fright."

"I'll admit, I _was_ scared. But I knew you were there, so I did my best."

"I thought you did all right," Raven's voice adds.

 _May as well greet him while I'm here,_ Elsword thought.

"Sup, Raven," he calls.

"Well, this is a surprise. I hardly see you."

"Hey, I'm nice enough to give you two alone time. Come on, would you really want me butting in?"

"Who is this kid?" the purplette asks somewhat rudely.

"He's my girlfriend's brother," Raven answers.

"Oh. Sorry. Raven doesn't talk to me about his personal life much."

"Hey, Raven, who's she?"

"This is Aisha. She's my sister, but we're not blood-related. Marriage stuff. This girl is Rena. She's been a friend of ours for quite a while."

"Well, well, looks like the gang's all here.," Elesis interjects from nowhere. "Hey, Chung, Eve, come here. Let me introduce you."

Once they were there, Elesis forcibly broke the metaphorical ice.

"Chung, Eve, this guy is my boyfriend, Raven. He looks like a thug, what with his evil robot arm and all, but he's a nice guy."

"Elie, don't make it sound like I'm a criminal. Don't listen to her."

"The girl with purple hair is Aisha. Spends more time with her head down than up. She's almost always reading. So, Grapehead, how've you been since I last saw you?"

"Do you _have_ to keep calling me that?"

"Well, get your hair dyed, and I'd stop bugging you. And this girl is Rena. So, that was you doing the opening speech?"

"Yeah, but I was nervous."

"Nothing to worry about. You were the rep for your whole year. That means something. So, little bro, you going for any sports or clubs?"

"I don't know. Maybe. What about you?"

"My position, I won't have time for clubs. Man, this year's going to suck for me."

"Why's that?" Raven inquires.

"Stupid headmaster saw fit to appoint me student council president."

Shocked to silence, everybody just stood there. Then they all started laughing. Even Eve, who seemed incapable of outright emotion.

"And what's so funny?"

"Think about it, sis. _You_ as president of every student in the school. I don't see it working. What about you guys?"

"Not a chance," Chung answers.

"I agree," Eve seconds.

"I can't imagine it, either," Rena says, backing up the general opinion.

"So," Aisha said after they had all calmed down, "Something's been on my mind. It's about your friend, Eve. Who, or what is she?"

"What, you can't tell?" Elsword asks.

"Well, I know she's a Nasod, but I thought I would confirm it before I just start spouting off."

"Has the world ended?" Elesis asked in mock horror. "Aisha asking for _permission_ to be a know-it-all? Hey, who knows. Maybe my brother will grow up a little."

"Bite me," the two say together.

The line into the gym slowly lambered through the door. Elsword thought he would die of boredom first, but at least his new friends were able to keep it entertaining.

"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear," a voice says from nowhere. "But did someone say Nasod?"

The voice belonged to some kid who stood behind the group. He had this hair color that looked like someone took Aisha's hair and bleached it. And they used _a lot_ of bleach. He had this weird scar across his left eye.

"Hi, Add," Aisha said dejectedly. "And what if we did?"

"I didn't mean anything," he answers. "But you know my interest in mechanics."

"I'm going to go ahead and call it an obsession. Well, you're here. May as well introduce you. Guys, this is Add. We used to go to the same school until he moved. His fascination with anything electronic is second to none. One good thing about him is he's a beast with computers. By which," Aisha drops to a whisper, "I mean he's one of the best hackers in the world."

"You're giving me _way_ too much credit."

"Add, 2 years ago, you turned a hotel television into a fully portable touch-screen computer and back again with just 3 screwdrivers and a few wire cables."

"And you know that because. . ."

"You sent me an e-mail from it when you were done."

"Oh," he says, pausing for a moment. "Did I?"

"He's great with computers, but anything else goes in one ear and out the other."

"Sounds like the perfect guy for you, Ai," Elesis teases.

"S-Shut up!"

"Does anyone know what we're doing?" Add asks. "I'm afraid I just got here. Got lost on my way here."

" _And_ he has no sense of direction? Oh, dear. Ai, you'd better be there for him. He's already a lost cause, I can tell."

"Before you guys go on about this, it's almost our turn," Elsword interrupts. "So Add, what we're doing is we're going in here to get some physical exam. After that. . ."

"After that come the weapons," Elesis, says, interrupting her brother. "You guys are gonna have fun with that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Aisha interjects. " _Weapons?_ Nobody said we'd be fighting."

"Calm down. I'll explain when you get out."

"Speaking of which, ladies first," Elsword says tauntingly. "Come on, Grapehead. Lead on."

"If you call me that again, I will make sure you can never sit down after today."

One by one, they went inside. It was everything they had expected. Just a boring waste of time. Then they each received some weird cube as they exited the gym.

"Well, that was uneventful," Rena says once they were finished.

"No kidding," Chung adds. "And what the heck's in these cubes?"

"Be careful, and don't open those here," Elesis warned. "Those are called Weapon Cubes. By the name, you can guess what's inside. But unless you're in a duel or training in special arenas, you're not allowed to remove the weapon from inside under any and all circumstances. I learned the hard way."

"Yep," Raven says. "Once Elie opened hers by mistake, the teachers were on her like a bloodhound. Nobody else in our grade made the same mistake. A perfect role model of what _not_ to do."

"Oh, but it is okay to open them inside your room. Just thought I'd let you know."

"Yeah, you mentioned that earlier, sis. What room are you talking about?"

"Your dorm room. What'd you think I meant?"

"Dorm room?" the group asks simultaneously.

"Oh, I didn't mention that before I left. See those two buildings there, off to your right? Those are your dorm buildings. Left building is for boys, right is girls. 1st year students are required to stay in the dorms. Familiarize themselves with the school and all that good crap. The room you're in should be on the back of your Cube."

They all turned their cubes over. Elsword, Chung, and Add had the same number on theirs: B-1-3. And the girls had matching number on theirs': G-1-5.

"Like this wasn't obvious," Elesis went on to explain, "That's your room. The letter couldn't be more obvious. The first number's the floor, and the second's your actual room. Well, I've done all I can. Time for me to head back. Again."

"You really don't like it here, do you, sis?" Elsword asked.

"It's not that. It's just that I have better things to do at home. Like getting some damn sleep. I pulled more all-nighters in 3 months than I've pulled in 15 years. I'm too tired."

"Hey, sis."

"Sup, little bro?"

"How many of those all-nighters involved Raven?"

". . ."

"What? It's a fair question."

"I can't take it anymore. I'm going to look at the positives here. Now I hardly have to deal with you for a whole year."

"Still gotta deal with me next summer."

". . .Damn it. Why do I keep forgetting? Hey, do me a favor. Fail this year and go to summer school."

"Whatever. So you said it was building on the left?"

"That's the one."

"Great. See you next summer. Or whenever I see you."

And with that, he walked off. Being that they were in the same room, and they didn't really know what to do now, Chung and Add followed him. When they reached their room, none of them were sure how to open it without a key. There was a sensor on the door, so Add tried placing his cube in front of it, just for kicks. It opened.

"Well, at least we know how to open the door," Chung says nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but this means if we lose our Cubes, we're screwed. Don't lose it," Elsword says in a half-warning-half-threat.

The room was simple enough. There were 4 bunks, but something told them they wouldn't need it. So it was just the 3 of them, all year.

"So what was that about? You know, with your sister?" Chung asks.

"Oh, nothing. We're always like that. I'm surprised you didn't already know."

"Other than school, I don't leave home much. My guardian says it's unsafe."

"What do you mean?" Add asks.

"No reason you can't know. Chung's the prince of Hamel. You know, the overseas capital?"

"It's no big deal, really. I moved here to see what it was like to be normal. Hey, I'm dying of curiosity here. Can we open these things now?"

"Why not? Sis said it would be okay when we were in our room."

Because he was impatient, Chung opened his first. It was a large... They didn't know what it was. He looked it over three times, but couldn't find anything to tell what it was. Then he noticed the large hole on one end. Looking in, he got a sinking feeling.

"What is it?" Add asks impatiently.

"I think this is a cannon."

Worrying about what it was or what it was for was set aside for later. Add opened his next. Six little machines appeared and started floating around him. Elsword went last. Surely, he had gotten the short end of the stick. It was a sword. Or rather, half a sword. This would be a _long_ year. . .

 _End of Chapter 1_


	2. 2nd Month

_Chapter 2: 2nd Month_

 _(Elsword's POV)_

I tried getting some sleep, but things kept running around my head. The one thing that was nagging me was my "weapon," if it could be called that. Chung was out cold on the bunk above me. Add was sleeping all right across the room. But they weren't stuck with half a weapon, were they?

I decided to accept my fate and play the hand I was dealt. To do that, I had to learn how to use this thing. I figured there had to be training rooms near the dorms, for people to practice close to their rooms. I wrote a note and put it on my bed so they'd know where I went if they woke up.

Conveniently, there was a sign showing directions to the training rooms. Following the signs, I walked into Training Room 1. And (just my luck) I wasn't alone.

I couldn't see who it was from my position, but I heard the sound of something hitting wood. _Fast._ I heard the sound again, but I didn't know what it was. So I moved to get a better view. I saw a practice dummy littered with arrows. _So_ that's _what it was._ I moved a little closer to see who was "pulling the string," so to speak.

It was Rena.

Either my luck was turning out for better or for worse. Here I was, falling in love with her, and now we're alone in this massive building. Then I remembered why I came here. I was here to train, and apparently, so was she.

Even though I was already inside, I knocked on the door so I wouldn't startle her when I just came in from nowhere. She turned, unable to see me from where she stood. She moved a little closer. Now I could see she had an arrow drawn and ready. I started to panic. Can you blame me?

"Wait! Don't shoot!" I plead like I'm facing the cops. "It's me."

"Oh. You startled me," she says, relaxing. "Hey, Elsword. You couldn't sleep, either?"

"It wasn't that. I was complaining to myself about what I'm stuck with. You're lucky. And a bow is a good fit for you. It suits you."

"Not a big deal really. When I was young, I practiced archery. My mother taught me. I owe a lot to her."

"Again, you're lucky. Only family I've got is my sister."

"What happened?"

"I don't really remember. It was too long ago. But for as long as I can remember, Elesis has raised me, taught me, and pretty much been done everything for me. Well, everything I couldn't do myself. Hey, want to see what I'm stuck with here?"

"Sure. Why not?"

I half-expected her to laugh. She did. Add and Chung started laughing their asses off when they saw my half-sword. Even I was laughing because I found it to be so stupid.

"Where's the other half?" she asks, laughing.

"Who knows? Maybe. . .they lost it?"

Only at this time did I notice something. Now that I was close to her, she looked even prettier. But there was something else. Her eyes looked like a forest sunlit at dawn, and her. . .chest (keeping it PG here) looked like a very nice pillow. Or set of pillows.

I tried not to get distracted. _Keep_ your _eyes on_ her _eyes. Keep eye contact. Do not let your eyes sink..._ It turned out that the more I told myself to not look down, I looked down. _Guess it's true why they say not to think about it._

"Hey, are you all right?" she asks.

"Yeah. I'm good," I tell her. She wasn't convinced.

" _Really_? I do hope you're not lying." And as she said that, I felt this evil presence emanating from her. I almost lost my shit. Literally. "You can tell me the truth. But if you try to tell another lie. . ."

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry," I beg as I get on my knees, hoping she wouldn't kill me. "As I was talking to you, I got distracted."

"By. . .?"

"I was distracted by your breasts. That's the truth. I know, I shouldn't. Believe me, I tried to tell myself not to."

"You know what they say about thinking you shouldn't do something?"

"Yeah. You're more likely to do it. I'm really sorry. I spaced."

"It's all right," she says, as I felt the aura around her dissipate. "I appreciate your honesty. My parents taught me that it's bad to lie."

 _Yeah, they taught her the hard way._ I really did feel bad about spacing out 'cuz of her rack, and I did try not to. Things just don't work out like I plan.

"Well, you're here, too. Didn't you come here to train, like me?"

"Oh, right! I forgot. I got caught up talking to you."

"I'll take that as a comment for now."

"It was a compliment. It's easy for people to talk to you. Myself, especially."

"Why's that?"

I don't really know. But maybe it's because. . ."

"I just said it's important to be _honest_ , didn't I?" I felt the evil aura return.

"I guess I can talk to you because I like you."

Her personality pulled a complete 180. She went from evil mistress to shocked schoolgirl in less than a second.

"Me? You're kidding."

"Nope. You saw me a few minutes ago. I'm a terrible liar. Just another thing I'm no good at."

Her face was turning red, almost as red as my hair. I would say her face was as red as mine, but I can't see my face, can I? Then she started laughing. It wasn't mean or cruel, but light-hearted and. . .cloudy (like, up-in-the-clouds-happy).

"You know, you're weird."

"What'd I do now?"

"Right there. That's what I mean. You don't really let anything affect you. You go with what happens to you. Well, then, you've told me something. Now can I tell you my dirty little secret?"

I wasn't sure what to expect. "Sure. I hope you can talk to me."

She pulled the hair on the sides of her face aside. It was after that that I noticed she kept her hair arranged so you couldn't see her ears. Now I understood why. She wasn't human. The tapered ears were a dead giveaway. She was an elf.

"What's wrong with being an elf?" I ask.

"We're something of a dying race," she tells me.

I couldn't understand her. Or I didn't want to. Maybe I had misheard her.

"Dying?" I ask incredulously.

"Yep," she answers nonchalantly. "Our race has a strong connection to the forest."

"Yeah. The El Stones, right?"

"The forests we revere are blessed with a sacred energy. Lately, that energy's started to dwindle. The elders aren't sure why. . .Wait. You know what they are!?"

"What? The El Stones? Sure, I do. Sis told me all about them. She used to do a lot of traveling, so she learned some things. Like the El Stones. When she would get back, she'd always tell me everything she learned. Well, actually, she made me take notes."

Apparently, I'm not bad at making her laugh. She found this funny, too.

"I'll say it again. You're weird, you know that?"

"Well, my sis learned to put up with it."

"Hey, have you noticed the time? It's a little early, don't you think?"

Early? Looking at the clock, I saw 3:05. I couldn't have been here _that_ long.

"Hey, Rena? What time did I get here?"

"About 10 minutes after 2. Why?"

"That means I've been up all night. I am oblivious. I never even noticed the time."

"Okay, now 'weird' doesn't even _begin_ to describe you. We should get some sleep. Well, I did. But it's early, and I need more sleep. . ."

I started picking up about every other word she said. My eyesight turned blurry. The last thing I remember was feeling this pain and a cold sensation on the back of my head.

 _(Rena's POV)_

As we just sat there, he started swaying. I didn't know what was wrong, but I figured it out when his eyes shut and his body fell back. I heard the sound of his skull hitting cold metal. I wince at the sound of his skull hitting hard metal.

"Unbelievable," I say to myself. "He fell asleep right here. He really is weird, isn't he? I should probably get him to his room, but are girls allowed in the boys dorm? I can't leave him here, and I can't take him to back to my room. I don't know where the nurse's office is. May as well try to get him back."

I hoisted his right arm over my shoulder, and even though not all his weight was pressed on me, he was still rather light. He forgot to put his sword away, so I tried to put it away. As it turned out, that was the hard part. I could barely lift it with two hands, and he was swinging this monster with one hand like it was a small knife? Who _was_ he? I _was_ able to store it back inside its Cube. That made it easier to carry.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" I ask him, even though he couldn't hear me. "It might actually be nice, having someone I can get close to." Now I'm talking to myself again. "Having friends was never very high on my priority list. They're always prying in, always so nosy. But he's different. He's actually nice. Sure he's kind of an idiot, but he never complains. He's a 'the-glass-is-half-full' kind of guy. But me. . ."

I didn't grow up. . .normally, in a word. My parents forced perfection on me. Anything less was. . . _No, stop thinking like that! You're not their puppet anymore._

I got to his room. I knocked on the door, but nobody answered. I held his cube up to the door's sensor, and it opened. Chung and Add were still asleep. I laid Elsword on his bed. Then the same thing happened to me. I feel myself falling. . .

 _(Elsword's POV)_

When I woke up, I felt 3 things. The first was this stinging on the back of my head. The second thing was a chill. I realized that this was because I was not covered with a blanket. But the 3rd thing shot my pulse, and my body temperature, _way_ up. Because Rena was right next to me. In _my_ bed.

I had to will myself not to shout. That would not have been good for me. Looking across, Add was still asleep. I didn't know about Chung above me, but if I had to guess, he was probably awake. He was a bit of an early riser.

I hear her mumble something in her sleep, but I couldn't catch all of it. It sounded like she had said, "Please, don't. Don't make me. . ." It must be a pretty bad nightmare. She seems so calm and cheerful. Then her eyes shoot open, scaring the crap out of me. She sits up just as quickly, again scaring me half to death. Her hands are trembling, and her eyes say she's scared of something.

"Just. . .just a dream," she says, panting like she had just run a marathon.

"Hey, Rena, you all right there?" I ask her.

She turns around, and that aura I felt before came back again, but stronger than before. And every wave was pointed at me. I felt the waves piercing my skin, like burning lasers.

"Did you hear anything?" she asks threateningly.

"No. You didn't say anything. Honest."

I wasn't so sure I liked this side of her. Any trace of cheer or happiness was gone, and what replaced it was pure killing intent.

"Good. By the way, I apologize for sleeping here," she says, still rigid and cold.

"It's fine. But what happened?"

"I walked you back to your room, and then as I was in here, I started getting tired myself. So I simply fell asleep here."

"Oh. Okay."

"Oh, so that's what happened," a voice above me says mischievously.

"Chung, it's not polite to listen to other people," I tell him.

"Hey, I was curious, too. The 1st year representative falling asleep in the room of the guy who likes her? That's gonna start some nasty rumors. On that note, you may want to look at this."

He crawled down from his bunk and sat on the floor. He pulled out his phone and fiddled with it for a bit. When he came to what he wanted, he showed it to me and Rena. It was a video. Of Rena walking me into my room hoisted on her shoulder. From the position the video was shot, it looked like I was leaning on her after I got smashed. A few minutes later, the video ended. And Rena hadn't come out yet.

"Where the hell did you get this?" I ask, horrified.

"Don't look at me. I just got this in a mail about 20 minutes ago. Funny thing is, I've gotten 15 different mails with the same video. If I had to guess, someone recorded this video to get some nasty dirt on both of you. And you know what?"

"What?" we ask together, afraid it couldn't get any worse.

"The way this was recorded, someone doesn't like one of you. So they probably mailed these videos to every kid here. I place emphasis on _every_."

 _We had to ask._

"Day 2, and you're already the most hated kid in school, Els. Nice job."

"You know that's not my fault!"

"But _they_ (the people who got this) don't, do they? Look, man, take my advice. Do _not_ leave this room. For your own good."

"I have to. I've got to clear this up."

"Get a grip, okay!? I know this mess has to be fixed, but you're not the only one who can. It's still early enough. Okay, listen," Chung's voice becomes more serious. "Rena, get back to your room ASAP. Aisha probably has this video by now, and she'll be out for blood. Straighten this out with her. The more people we have on our side, the better. Elsword," he says, for once using my full name, "tell your sister about this. Tell her what happened. And be sure that she tells Raven, too. We don't want anyone we know getting the wrong idea."

This was a different side of Chung. Usually, he was happy-go-lucky and cracking fun at whatever mess I got myself into, but he always knows when to take command of a situation. I call it Command Mode. Chung has a different name for it, but hell if I remember what it is.

"I'll tell her right now," Rena says, clearly new to Chung's authoritarian powers.

"Anything I can do to help?" Add asks across the room after Rena left. _So much for being asleep,_ I thought.

"Actually, yes. Can you hack into people's phones and start deleting the videos? That way, people who haven't seen them yet won't see them at all."

"Pretty sure I can," he answers sarcastically. He knew that would be easier than a walk in the park.

"Chung, what should I tell sis?"

"Give me a second. I'll mail you the video. Send that to her. But be sure to tell her it's not what she thinks. You know better than anyone how she can be."

"Too true, but she'd probably be happy I finally got a girl."

Offering a dry laugh, Chung says, "Yeah, but like this? From behind, you look like you're hammered. And heaven knows your sister wouldn't like that."

A little message sound came from my phone. I attached the video to an e-mail, and a message saying to come to school ASAP.

"Did you send it?"

"Yeah, she got it. I told her to get Raven and get over here."

"Okay, that takes care of the main problems. Now we have to figure out who sent it in the first place."

"Already done," Add says.

"Hold up. You _know_ who sent it? _Already?_ "

"Wasn't a great mystery. True, whoever sent this was smart enough to not use their name. That would make it too easy to catch the culprit. All I did was trace the source back, and I got a lock. It was recorded by a student named Ciel."

"Heh. Head in the clouds, huh?"

"I don't get it."

"'Ciel' is French for 'sky.'"

"But he wasn't alone," Add continues.

"What do you mean?"

"Just before and after the videos were sent, he sent a few texts to another student. Give me a second to find it. Got it! He sent some text messages to a girl named Lu. And by the look of it, she's the one who put him up to this."

It made everything so easy. We knew who recorded and posted the videos, and we knew the mastermind behind that.

"I say we take 'em down," I say energetically.

"Not a chance," Chung says automatically, shooting me down.

"Why not!?"

"Listen, Els. I hate to say this, but we know too much too quickly. I'm not dissing Add's work. Great job, by the way. He found in less than 3 minutes what should have taken almost a month or longer to find. We have to wait this out. They don't know about Add's hacking expertise. All they know is that they pretty much ruined your reputation."

"I never had one!"

"Not quite true," Add contradicts. "You're right. As an individual, you're pretty unknown here. Now _here's_ where you have something to worry about. Your sister is quite the figure here at school. She's done about anything and everything. She's actually quite popular, depending on how you define it. My guess is they're probably trying to ruin her. And the best way to do that is to get some story about her younger brother and the 1st year representative sleeping together. Everything would go to hell in a handbasket."

"So my sis is the target?"

"Here's some more help. Lu and Ciel are 2nd years. Last year, they challenged Elesis to a 2-on-1 match. They lost. Pretty badly, too. Revenge, maybe?"

"But this video only accuses me."

"True. But it suggests that you two live alone without your parents. I get that it's because your parents aren't here, but they're counting on the blame to be shifted to Elesis for raising her only brother to be like this."

"Where do you know all this stuff!?"

"You don't really think that's going to work, do you?" Chung asks skeptically.

"Yep. The other students'll tell their parents about this, and they'll be on Elesis like a vulture after a corpse."

"Charming image there," I remark sarcastically.

"Charming, but true." And as he said that, there was a knock at the door.

"I got it," Chung says. It was Rena, and Aisha and Eve were with her. Elesis and Raven were there, too. "Perfect timing. Everybody's here."

After we were comfortable, Chung began our "conference."

"Alright. Add, would you explain what you got? I don't speak technology much."

"Not much to explain. Elesis, do you remember a pair of students, Lu and Ciel, challenging you last year to a match?"

"A 2-on-1? Yeah, I remember. I actually almost lost."

"Well, they recorded that little video Elsword sent you. They're trying to get to you. And if their plan works, in about 4 or 5 days, you won't be doing so well."

"Why's that?"

"What would happen if the students told their parents about this? It's common knowledge that you two live alone. If the parents see this, they'll think you've done a very poor job of raising your brother. And if that happens, who knows what they'll do? Some parents may take this incident to the police. You'll look like an irresponsible guardian, and Elsword will look like an underage sex offender. Best-case, they take him to a teenage correctional facility and get him a psychiatrist. Worst-case. . .I can't say."

"What can we do?" For once, my sister was scared.

"Chung said to wait a while. If we act too soon, they'll know we know what they're doing. But if we act now, maybe this mess can be sorted out before people get involved. For now, we should talk to the headmaster. They probably got a copy, too. We have to tell them the truth, if no one else."

"I'll do it," Rena says solemnly. "I feel like I should help out with this."

"Okay. That should handle the worst of our problems. Actually, that's about it. We're pretty much done. Unless you want to fix this mess yourself, Elesis."

"I'll talk to them later. But I want to see if my brother can handle this."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I ain't doing this. I'm not ready to fight anybody. Not with the crap I have."

"Have to agree, Els," Chung agrees nervously. "With _that_. . ."

"What happened?"

"Eh, Elesis? Els kind-of-sort-of has. . .half a sword."

". . .Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack, sis."

"So now what?"

"Well, obviously, it's not safe for Els to walk around. If he does, he'll get attacked. All for one reason. Guys would beat him for moving on Rena so quickly. Let's face it. Els isn't the only one who thinks she's attractive. The girls would kill him 'cuz. . .you know."

I saw Rena's face turn red. Then she stood up . My guess was that she was going to talk to the headmaster like we planned.

"Hold it, Rena," Chung says abruptly. "You're not leaving, either."

"Why not?"

"We all know Elsword wouldn't make it out of this building in one piece. You'd never make it to the headmaster. The other girls will probably crowd around you and flood you with questions. Then they'd get you to the nurse's office. My point is, pity is your worst enemy. I'll tell the headmaster. Eve, could you make sure that Elsword and Rena do _not_ leave?"

"That should not be a problem."

After Chung left, I tell Rena, "Hey, I'm really sorry for getting you caught up in this."

"It's fine," she says. "Besides, all this means is that this year's off to a pretty interesting start."

Then we heard the PA system.

 _"1st year students Elsword and Rena, please report to the administration office immediately."_

"OH, COME ON! I CAN'T EVEN GET OUT THE DOOR!" Chung yells, barely outside.

"Did they have to broadcast it to the entire school?" I ask.

"Do you think it's too late to stop them?" Rena jokingly asks.

"Hey, wait up, Pikachu! We'll come, too!"

"Where'd that come from?"

"The ends of his hair look like ears. Pretty sure sis gave him that nickname. Hey, sis, you coming, too? The more, the merrier."

"Why not? I am the victim here. Come on, scientist," she says, grabbing Add by his shirt collar. "Raven, why don't you join us?"

"I don't know what this has to do with me," he protests.

Pulling out her phone, Elesis sent him a text. I don't know what she said to him. Apparently, he got the message, because he changed his mind. "But I'm bored. May as well."

"Hey, hey, hey! Let go of the shirt. I don't like getting my clothes dirty or messed up."

"Aisha, Eve, this should be done soon," Rena says to the girls. "You can go back to our room."

"Are you sure? We'll help, too."

"It's fine," Rena says, and I'm pretty sure I saw her wink at Aisha.

"Well, if you're sure, but we'll wait here for you."

"Suit yourself."

I saw Aisha mouth something to Rena, but I can't read lips. But she must have known, 'cause Rena waved to her before we left.

"So, what was that about?" I ask.

"Little brother, you should know better than to pry into a girl's life," my sis scolds me as she hit me on the head. "You deserved that."

"For shame, Elsword," Rena remarks.

"Okay, okay! Just asking a question."

 _(Rena's POV)_

Honestly, I wanted to do a little more than just criticize him. But I figured Elesis had done enough. I fell back and began talking to her.

"Hey, Elesis, how did you know about. . .you know. . ." I whisper to her.

"Wasn't a great mystery," she tells me. "All I did was keep my eye on her."

"And you told Raven."

"He deserves to know. Aisha's his sister, don't forget."

"True."

"Still, I was surprised. How'd _you_ find out?"

"Yesterday, I left the room for a few minutes. When I came back, I heard something on the other side. They were just talking, but what about surprised me. I honestly had no idea that. . .that. . ."

"That Aisha liked Eve?"

"Do you have to say it so bluntly?"

"Well, you sure won't gonna say it. And on this subject, Elsword likes you. He really does. Yeah, he's an idiot, and he's probably the densest person ever. Still, look out for him, okay? Even if you don't become his girlfriend."

"I'll try."

So I said. But would I really be able to keep that promise?

"Okay, time to ask," Add comments. "Where are we going right now?"

He had a point. Where _was_ the headmaster's office?

"Follow me," Elesis says sullenly. "I know where it is."

"Lead on, intrepid adventurer," Raven remarks.

"Oh, shut it. Not like I want to know where it is."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Elsword whispers.

"What was that, you little brat?"

"Oh, nothing."

I found it nice how well they got along, even if they were at each other's throats half the time. I was jealous. I never had any siblings. Even if I had, I wouldn't have been that lucky. Perfection was my parent's only signs of affection. Anything less was. . . _STOP! Stop thinking like this!_

"Hey, you okay?" Elesis asks me.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," I answer quickly. I have to stop making them worry. When I get back to my room, I'm getting this off my chest.

We weren't far from the administration, as it turned out. But we had to pass through a pretty well-populated part of the school. And all of their eyes were on me. Actually, they were on the boy next to me. I picked up every word they were saying. None of it was very exciting to hear.

"Hey, sis, I just thought of something. Why isn't the administration in the same building as registration?"

"How would I know? This whole school is backwards, you want my opinion."

"It is how it is, Elesis," a voice behind us says.

The only word to describe this guy would be "creepy." Well, the mask he wore across his face wasn't helping my first impression.

"You're still using that overblown cliché? Here's my advice: watch a new movie for some better catchphrases, or stop altogether. Besides, you called us here. Where do you get off leaving waiting for a meeting, headmaster?"

 _HEADMASTER!?_

"I thought being the headmaster of a school would be entertaining. Alas, it has failed to relieve my boredom."

"Then get someone else to take over. If you're bored, I'll gladly fill your chair. It's already empty enough. And I am student council president this year."

"Always the smart one, aren't you? No matter. Why don't we go inside? Anymore time outside, and I'll die of heat stroke or worse."

"That's your own fault. Wearing all black in September? Something is really wrong with you."

"Wait. _This_ guy's our headmaster!?" Elsword shouts.

"Regrettably, yes. This is Glave, headmaster of this school. He was also my tutor for my 1st year. Now you see where I got it."

"You didn't actually learn anything, did you?" I had to ask.

"Define "learn," Rena."

"Rena. So, you're the 1st year representative. A lot of rumors have started to spread about you. And about this young boy right here," he says, referring to Elsword. "Oh, yes. That was why I summoned you. I want to ask you both some questions."

"I don't suppose we can refuse?" Elsword asks.

"Not this time, hothead," Glave answers coolly.

Only the two of us were requested, so the others had to go back. _I hope they don't bother Aisha too badly._

"Why don't you two sit down?" he asks. "It must be uncomfortable standing."

Once we were seated, the interrogation began. "I received information of 2 1st year students engaging in. . .questionable activities on campus. Of course, what you do behind closed doors is really none of my business. But there is the issue that allegations exist that one of you was intoxicated."

"Not true," Elsword replies immediately.

"May I ask how so?"

"That may actually be my fault. When I couldn't sleep, I went to the training room next to the dorms. After some time, Elsword came in. We started talking, and then he just fell asleep. That actually happened to you. You just fell."

"That would explain the stinging I felt on the back of my head."

"I didn't really know what to do, so I decided to bring Elsword back to his room. But the way I carried him may have had negative implications. But while I was in there, I fell asleep myself."

"Is that everything?"

"That's everything that either one of us could tell you. Chung, one of Elsword's roommates, could probably fill in the rest of the blanks."

"Could you get him in here?"

I saw Elsword send Chung a text message. A few seconds later, he got a response asking where the headmaster's office was. Elsword gave him directions, and he was here in a few seconds.

"Chung, was it? I want to clear this incident up without problems. These two said that you could probably answer my last few questions."

"I'll try my best."

"I have all the details about Rena falling asleep in your room. Did anything happen between when she fell asleep, and when these two woke up?"

"No, sir."

"You answered that quickly."

"I would have known if they were doing anything."

"Why's that?"

"If they had done anything, the whole dorm building would have been woken up."

"That's true."

"Anything else?"

"No, that will do. All three of you are free to go."

"All three of us? Why?" I ask.

"This entire discussion was recorded and broadcasted campus-wide. When the situation calls for it, this is an effective way of calming everybody down. Nobody involved was hurt, thankfully. These incidents, if they're not fixed, have a negative effect on the school's reputation."

"WHAT KIND OF HEADMASTER RECORDS THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION!?" Elsword yells.

"Please stop yelling. You're still on camera, you know."

"Quit complaining, Elsword. Thank you for helping us clear up this awkward misunderstanding, headmaster."

"Oh, you have manners. That's a surprise. I'm sure this goes without saying, but try to instill some etiquette in this headstrong boy, won't you?"

"I'll certainly try, sir. But I can't promise anything," I whisper to myself.

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"Oh, no. Nothing. Come on, Elsword, let's head back."

I don't know why everybody wants me to help him. I'm the last person _anyone_ should be asking for help. I can't even help myself. But Elesis is my friend, and I'll do everything I can for her.

"Damn it! What is wrong with him?" Elsword complains on the way back.

"Look, Elsword, at least this mess was settled. Can't you relax?" I ask exhaustedly.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his personality making a u-turn.

"Nothing. I'm just having a bit of a headache."

"Want to go to the nurse?"

"No, it's alright. I'll just go back to my room. Maybe some sleep will help."

"Well, if you're sure. But you can come by whenever you want to talk."

"Thanks. Actually, something is bothering me."

"What's up?"

"I don't like thinking about it. Oh, and I feel you should know this. You're Eve's friend, after all."

"What? Did something happen?"

"No, nothing in particular. I just thought you should know that Aisha. . .is in love with Eve."

The last part came out a little too quickly. I wasn't sure if he heard what I said. . . no, he heard me. He's just been struck stupid.

". . .Are you serious?"

"Serious enough."

"Well, that's unexpected."

"Huh. You're taking it well enough."

"Who Eve likes is really none of my business. But if she had to like anyone, I'm glad it's a friend."

"You haven't even known Aisha for 24 hours, and she's your friend?"

"Why not? I've known you for the same amount of time, and you're my friend."

"Stop saying stuff like that. It's embarrassing."

"Still the truth."

"I think I'll head back now. See you later."

"Okay, see you."

In reality, I just wanted to get away from him. _Who is he?_ I kept asking myself. But I knew the answer to that. He wasn't anybody special. You could find somebody like him just about anywhere.

Except I'd never be able to find anyone like him. Never.

He was reckless, headstrong, idiotic, and clueless. But he never let it get to him. He's taken this mess a lot better than I have. But then, anything's better than before. Nothing I ever did was right. I was treated like I was nothing. Weakened and abused, and all for their crazy ambitions. That's why I'm here. I won't stay there. Not anymore.

I walk back to my room. When I knock, I'm surprised that Aisha and Eve are already there.

"What happened?" I ask. "They kick you out when they got back?"

"Funny. We just thought we'd come back. What's wrong? You look like a mess."

"I'm fine." _Yeah, right._ "It's been a long day sorting out this mess. I'm gonna take a shower, then get some sleep."

"It is pretty late. You woke up past 1:00 today. That's not like you. But you couldn't sleep, right?"

"How'd you. . .right. The headmaster recorded that conversation. So, now you know. Oh, and I told Eve's friend Elsword about your little crush."

"Why!?"

"I find it to be of no important consequence if Elsword knows," Eve commented.

"I told him because, as Eve's friend, he deserves to know. He took it pretty well, actually. He said that if anyone fell for Eve, he's glad that it was a friend."

"You could've let me or Eve tell him. It's more honest coming from one of us."

"Ai, let's face it. You wouldn't have told him. You'd be too embarrassed. I'll be out in a few minutes."

I walk into the bathroom and start undressing. I turn on water and let its temperature adjust before stepping in. It feels like it's reaching into my soul, removing all the stress of what happened today. But it can't remove the stains that taint the depths of my heart. And I know it'd be too much to hope for that I can just forget it. I hate my parents for what they made me. And I will _not_ be their slave anymore. At least, that's what I want to say. I know that I can't just let go of who I am, no matter how much I want to.

My body starts heating up, and it's not just the hot water. _Why now, of all times?_ _Oh well, at least I'm alone._ My breathing becomes erratic, my heartbeat accelerates. It feels like I'm on fire from the inside. But instead of burning me, the flames caress me from the inside-out. My legs grow weak, and give out beneath me. After a few seconds, the heat begins to leave my body.

But after my body stopped feeling hot, a chill set in. It felt like I was freezing, like my body was becoming ice itself. It was unbearable. And all I could do was wait. I started shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't even think. It felt like my brain was numb. Then I felt the chills weaken. My body stopped shaking.

"Finally," I manage to say through unsteady breathing. "It's over."

Feeling like it couldn't get any worse, I turn off the water. _I need to remember to either get some new clothes or wash these._ I grab a towel, wrapping it around me.

"Hey, I'm done. Either of you want to use the shower, it's free."

All I feel are Aisha's eyes glaring at me.

"What?"

"It's not fair."

" _What?_ "

". . .They're too big."

"Whatever," I say, exhausted. "See you guys in the morning."

So I said. But sleep was the last thing on my mind. Even an hour later, I still wasn't sleeping. Too many things were happening for me to get some sleep. I leaned out and looked down from my bunk. Aisha was sleeping beneath me. Eve was across from us, on the second bunk. She was sleeping, too.

"It had to be today of all days," I whisper to myself. "At least I was alone when it came. But I know it's only going to get worse. It always does, after all. Besides, I'm used to it."

I needed light, but I didn't want to disturb them. Finding some decently clean clothes, I grabbed a book from my bag. I left the room in the middle of the night again.

"I do this anymore, it'll become a habit. But at least it'd be a good habit."

I know leaving to go anywhere past hours is a bad habit to get into, but compared to everything else, it'd be a good habit. I followed the signs pointing to the recreation room.

It was about what I expected. Tables were gathered in the center of the room, and there were numerous games scattered here and there. A dartboard was positioned on the left wall, and there were still some darts stuck there. A pool table (don't ask me why a pool table's at a high school) sat in the far corner. All I needed was a table and some light. Finding both to be in ample supply, I sat down and opened the book I brought along. In my life, writing what happens to me every day helps me keep a sane head. This journal (diary sounds too personal, and that wasn't allowed) has been my one safeline.

"My own carelessness got me involved in an incident. A video was recorded of me helping a new friend back to his room. From the angle the video was recorded, it appeared that he was intoxicated. When I failed to come out of his room, it was assumed that I had slept with him. However, that was not the case. I fell asleep in his room by, again, my own fault. Together with a few new friends, we explained to the headmaster what actually happened. If I had to describe the headmaster, he's very odd. He wears a mask over his face, he wears all black, and a cloak like it's the middle of winter. And he has an odd sense of humor. Very odd.

"My new friends all have individual quirks of their own. Elsword is the kind of person who doesn't let anything get to him. He faced today's incident without panicking, but he does have a quick temper. His friend, Chung, does not look like a boy; I was unsure what to think. But when it came down to it, he became a natural leader. I met Aisha's friend Add yesterday. He had been away for some time, I heard. It also turned out that he is an excellent hacker, and a brilliant strategist.

"Eve, my new roommate, is also very interesting. I wasn't aware that Nasods even still existed, but she is living proof. It also turns out that she likes Aisha. Well, actually, Aisha likes her. And surprisingly, Eve returns the affection.

"It's going to be a very interesting school life."

"And that's it," I say. "Oh, I almost forgot."

I had one more thing to write down.

"I felt Nirvana again."

 _September 3_

 _(Elsword's POV)_

Today was the first Monday of the year, so today, our school life began. Was I looking forward to it? Hell no. People go to school to learn. I wasn't sure what we'd learn at a former military school. And I wasn't the only one who felt like this.

"Do we have to?" Chung complains. "We just recovered from that mess. Why are we being tortured?"

"Listen, Chung, could you stop whining?" Add asks. "It's not making the day go by any faster."

"So? You know, I was expecting school to be, you know, at least a little fun. Our weekend was spent trying to fix that mess those 2nd years set up. And we're not even done with that. How long are you going to wait, Add?"

"I can't say yet. But when I am ready, I'll let you guys know first."

"Look, can we just get this over with?" I ask impatiently. "The sooner, the better."

And with that, we went to our class, silently complaining the whole time.

So we walked to our class. Again, none of us really wanted to. But when we got there, we learned that things would at least be a little interesting. There were a few people we didn't see there yesterday.

"Yo!" Aisha says, greeting us.

"We had expected you to be here first," Rena comments.

"It is pefectly natural for these two," Eve remarks. "Chung is an early riser, but he is unproductive with that extra time. And Elsword is. . ."

"A lost cause," the three say in unison.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" I ask.

They all just glare at me.

"All right, you punks, shut up and sit down," Ms. Stella says loudly, walking in.

As everyone sat in their seats, I found that the seat next to me was Aisha's. Rena sat behind me. _That explains why these two were empty Saturday._

"I'm going to explain how classes work here, so listen up," Ms. Stella orders. "Once a week, this class will head down to the training rooms between the dorms. We will stay there until 12:00, where you will be released for lunch. At 1:00, you will return to the room and continue until 3:00. That will be the end of your class. Our first visit is in 3 days. Any day not spent training will be spent here doing nothing."

Either we had heard her wrong, or we were crazy.

"Ms. Stella, did you say 'nothing?'" I had to ask.

"Yes, I _did_ say 'nothing.' And at least _one of us_ had something to take care of this weekend, isn't that right, Elsword?"

"Well, the truth is out, so I really don't care what happened."

"Ugh! You're as bad as your sister was. But yes, you will do nothing. Even though you're supposed to learn here, I don't have the motivation to teach you. So I won't. You punks are the last thing I need."

 _(Narrator's POV)_

So it wasn't going to be as bad as Elsword and the gang had thought. Just sitting around for hours on end doing absolutely nothing (I wish that's how _I_ could have spent my school years). The training days weren't as terrible as everyone had thought they would be, either. Each student took a turn at practicing their given weapon. Chung's had indeed turned out to be a cannon. Add's robots were called Dynamos and served many different uses. Eve had two small drones, one black and one white. She named the white drone Remy and the black Moby. Aisha received a staff, apparently for magic.

"Well, if I ever want to get into cosplay," she commented.

Rena's skill with a bow proved to be greater than Elsword had witnessed the one time before. And Elsword's half-sword still failed to impress.

"Would someone care to explain what that is?" Aisha remarks.

"Uh, it's a sword," Elsword answers. "Or at least it's supposed to be."

"I'm not going near that thing," Rena says, backing away.

"Come on. It's not even a real sword."

"How are you able to lift that?"

"I lift it. Not that hard."

"You're not human, are you?"

"Don't tell me. After I fell asleep, you tried to pick it up, didn't you?"

"Is it really that heavy, Rena?" Aisha asks, curious.

"Yes! See for yourself."

Elsword handed it to her. She dropped it immediately.

"That thing almost took my arms off!"

"Just how I was brought up, I guess."

"And that means. . .?" the two girls ask together.

"I'd say this sword weighs about 60 pounds. Sis would make me walk 3 miles with that much on my back twice a week. Once a week, I'd have to carry it in my arms."

"What kind of childhood did you have!?" Rena shouts.

"Eh, it wasn't that bad. I just hope that I can find the other half of this thing," Elsword jokes.

Nothing really changed from there. It was all the same every day. Elesis's duty as the student council president kept her plenty busy, especially after the fiasco that went down with her brother. As far as relationships go, nothing really developed. Rena knows how she feels about Elsword, but she can't bring herself to ask. As far as Aisha and Eve go, they got along nicely. They weren't crazy enough to broad cast their relationship to the school. Chung still hadn't found anybody, but his friends told him to stand tall.

"You'll get there, trust me," Elsword says, supporting his friend. "Besides, you're not the only single one here."

"Was that supposed to mean me?" Add asks defensively.

"I meant all three of us."

"Come on, Els, we all know you have a girl."

"Yeah, I told her I liked her, but she hasn't said anything back to me. And until then, I am officially single."

It had been reported that the school was getting a new student from abroad, but they hadn't shown up.

"Ms. Stella, do you know anything about this new student?" Elsword asked during one class day.

"All I know is that it's a female and she's from Fahrmann."

"I've always wanted to go to Fahrmann!" Aisha exclaimed.

"My father took me there a few times," Chung said. "It's a really beautiful place. I remember, when I went there once, I met this really cute girl. She was really nice and showed me around, but her brother was scary."

"Hey, hey, maybe you'll get lucky, Pikachu."

"I'm not that hopeful."

 _End of Chapter 2_

* * *

 **Okay, so now for me to explain a few things. Using official backstories wasn't exactly my thing, so I kind of made my own. As for Rena, I can't explain everything yet. But I promise I will clear things up in later sections. And I promise to do all 4 years. Actually, my Halloween special is next, so I'm looking forward to that. -dawicf**


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